VOA慢速英语 2007 0930

VOICE ONE:

I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember with PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.  Today we tell about Frederick Douglass.  He was born a slave, but later became one of America’s greatest leaders. He was an activist¹, a writer, a powerful speaker and an advisor² to President Abraham Lincoln.

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VOICE ONE:

 
Frederick Douglass
Frederick Douglass suffered severe physical and mental abuse during his many years as a slave.  He dreamed of one day learning to read and being free.  He believed knowledge would lead the way to freedom.  Douglass wrote several books about his life as a slave.  In eighteen forty-five he wrote "Narrative³ of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave." It became an immediate⁴ best seller and remains⁵ popular today. 

VOICE TWO:

Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey was born around eighteen eighteen in Tuckahoe, Maryland, near the Chesapeake Bay.  Many slaves lived on large farms owned by white people.  Each plantation⁶ was like a small village owned by one family who lived in a large house on the property.

Frederick and his mother, Harriet Bailey, were slaves on a huge plantation owned by Colonel Edward Lloyd. Their slave owner was a white man named Captain Aaron Anthony. Frederick knew very little about his father, except that he was a white man.  Many believed Captain Anthony was his father. 

Frederick did not know his mother well.  Harriet Bailey was sent to work on another plantation when Frederick was very young.  She was able to visit him only a few times.  She died when Frederick was about seven years old.

VOICE ONE:

Frederick then lived with his grandparents, Betsey and Isaac Bailey.  He said that his grandparents had a loving home and were respected by other slaves in the area.  Because of this, he did not realize at first that someone owned him and the others---that they were slaves.

It was not unusual for African-American families to be separated, often never seeing each other again.  Slaves were not treated as human beings.  Slave owners bought and traded them as if they were animals or property.  Frederick had to leave his grandparents‿home when he was six years old.  He later wrote about that day. He said being forced to leave was one of the most painful experiences in his life.  He said he began to understand the evil and oppressive system of slavery.

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VOICE TWO:

In eighteen twenty-six, Frederick was sent to work for Hugh Auld⁷, in Baltimore, Maryland.  Mister Auld’s wife, Sophia, was very kind to Frederick.  She treated him as if he were a member of her family.  Missus Auld soon began to teach Frederick to read.  Her husband became extremely angry and ordered her to stop immediately.  Slaves were denied education.  Mister Auld said if slaves could read they would rebel and run away.

Sophia Auld stopped teaching Frederick to read.  But he learned to read from white boys he met in the city.  The boys also told Frederick he had the right to be free.

VOICE ONE:

Mister Auld sent Frederick to work for a poor farmer, Edward Covey, who beat him often. In eighteen thirty-six, Frederick made an attempt to escape.  But he failed and was arrested.  He was sent back to the home of Hugh and Sophia Auld home in Baltimore. 

He met and fell in love with a free black woman named Anna Murray.  Miz Murray had a job cleaning other people’s homes.  She gave Frederick money to help him escape by getting on a train to New York City.

VOICE THREE:

"My free life began on the third of September, eighteen thirty-eight.  On the morning of the fourth of that month, I found myself in the big city of New York, a free man.  For the moment the dreams of my youth and the hopes of my manhood where completely fulfilled.  The bonds that held me to “old master‿were broken.  No man now had the right to call me his slave or try to control me."

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VOICE TWO:

When Frederick Bailey reached New York he changed his name to Frederick Douglass to hide his identity from slave capturers.  Anna Murray joined him and they were married.   They settled in New Bedford, Massachusetts and had five children. 

Frederick Douglass became one of the most important leaders of the abolitionist movement to end slavery in the United States. 

In eighteen forty-one, he attended the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society meeting in Nantucket, Massachusetts.  Douglass was unexpectedly asked to give a speech to describe his experiences as a slave.  He had not prepared a speech but he spoke⁸ to the huge gathering⁹ of people anyway.  Most of the supporters were white.  He spoke with great emotion in a deep and powerful voice.  The crowd praised him. 

VOICE ONE:

After that speech, The Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society asked Douglass to travel to cities throughout the North.  He continued to tell about his cruel and oppressive life as a slave.  He told how slave owners beat slaves everyday.  How slaves were given very little food to eat.  How they worked all day in the fields during dangerously hot weather.  How they slept on cold floors and had very little clothing. 

Many who heard his story challenged its truthfulness¹⁰.  They refused to believe that Frederick Douglass was ever a slave.  Instead, they thought he was an educated man who created the entire story. 

In eighteen forty-four, Douglass began writing his life’s story.  "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave" was published the following year.  He later published expanded versions of his book.

VOICE TWO:

Frederick Douglass wrote his first book partly to prove that he had lived through the horrible situations he described in his speeches.  He was asked to speak at the Independence Day celebration in Rochester, New York in eighteen fifty-two.  He noted¹¹ the differences of how blacks and whites considered Independence Day. 

VOICE THREE:

”The purpose of this celebration is the Fourth of July.  It is the birthday of your National Independence, and of your political freedom‿This Fourth of July is yours, not mine.  You may celebrate.  I must mourn…What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?  I answer:  a day that reveals to him more than all other days in the year, the horrible discrimination and punishment to which he is the everyday victim…There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody¹², than are the people of these United States at this very hour."

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VOICE ONE:

In eighteen sixty-one the American Civil War began.  Frederick Douglass and many others saw slavery as the cause of the war.  Douglass wanted blacks to be permitted to join the Union Army.  However, Northern whites, including President Abraham Lincoln, were against it.  They said black soldiers would harm the spirit of white soldiers.  They believed black soldiers were not intelligent. 

Two years later, blacks were permitted to join the Union Army, but they were not treated as soldiers.  Although they showed bravery they were given less important jobs.  Douglass met with President Lincoln in Washington to discuss the issue.  Douglass urge that black soldiers be treated equal to white soldiers. Although President Lincoln agreed, he said there could be no immediate change.

VOICE TWO:

In eighteen sixty-five, the Civil War ended.  The Union forces had defeated the South.  A few months later President Lincoln was killed.  And later that year, slavery was ended. 

Frederick Douglass went on to hold several positions in the government, including United States Marshall of the District of Columbia.  He never stopped his efforts to gain equality for all people.  Historians say Douglass gave two thousand speeches and wrote thousands of articles and letters. His work as an activist also included women’s rights.  On February twentieth, eighteen ninety-five, he gave a speech at the National Council of Women.  Later that day, he returned to his home in Washington and died of heart failure at the age of seventy-eight. 

Frederick Douglass ended his "book My Bondage¹³, My Freedom" with these words:

VOICE THREE:

"I shall labor¹⁴ in the future as I have labored¹⁵ in the past, to work for the honorable, social, religious, and intellectual position of the free colored people; while Heaven lends me ability, to use my voice, my pen or my vote to support the great and most important work of the complete and unconditional¹⁶ freedom of my entire race."

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VOICE ONE:

This program was written and produced by Lawan Davis. The writings of Frederick Douglass were read by Shep O'Neal. You can download this program and others from our Web site, voaspecialenglish.com. I’m Shirley Griffith.

VOICE TWO:

And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for PEOPLE IN AMERICA in VOA Special English.

 

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

3 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 plantation   

n.种植园，大农场

参考例句：

• His father-in-law is a plantation manager.他岳父是个种植园经营者。
• The plantation owner has possessed himself of a vast piece of land.这个种植园主把大片土地占为己有。

7 auld   

adj.老的，旧的

参考例句：

• Should auld acquaintance be forgot,and never brought to mind?怎能忘记旧日朋友，心中能不怀念？
• The party ended up with the singing of Auld Lang Sync.宴会以《友谊地久天长》的歌声而告终。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

10 truthfulness   

n. 符合实际

参考例句：

• Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness. 她有许多的美德，如忠诚、勇敢和诚实。
• I fired a hundred questions concerning the truthfulness of his statement. 我对他发言的真实性提出一连串质问。

11 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

12 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

13 bondage   

n.奴役，束缚

参考例句：

• Masters sometimes allowed their slaves to buy their way out of bondage.奴隶主们有时允许奴隶为自己赎身。
• They aim to deliver the people who are in bondage to superstitious belief.他们的目的在于解脱那些受迷信束缚的人。

14 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

15 labored   

adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转

参考例句：

• I was close enough to the elk to hear its labored breathing. 我离那头麋鹿非常近，能听见它吃力的呼吸声。 来自辞典例句
• They have labored to complete the job. 他们努力完成这一工作。 来自辞典例句

16 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。